Former Gators Baseball Star Traded by Mets to Brewers

A former member of the Florida Gators team that reached the College World Series in 2023 is bound for the Milwaukee Brewers

A former Gators pitcher is officially no longer wearing orange and blue | Cyndi Chambers / USA TODAY NETWORK

A former Florida Gators baseball star found out last night he was on the move. Right-hander Brandon Sproat was traded by the New York Mets to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was sent to Milwaukee, along with utility prospect Jett Williams, in exchange for All-Star starting pitcher Freddy Peralta and right-hander Tobias Myers.

The former Gators' righty was ranked as the Mets' No. 5 prospect in their system at the time of being traded. Williams was ranked third. He'll provide the Brewers with an up-and-coming arm who has major league experience.

He made his MLB debut as a September call-up, making four starts for the Mets as the season wound down. In that span, he pitched to a 4.79 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings pitched. The highlight of his first taste of major league action came in his second start. He pitched six shutout innings, allowing six hits and no walks while punching out three.

The hope was to help them reach the playoffs, but that wasn't in the cards. The Mets ultimately completed their collapse and missed the postseason. His move to the Brewers also plays a part in their overhaul of the roster over this MLB offseason.

Sproat's first few starts were consistent with his workload with Triple-A Syracuse. In 26 games, 25 starts, he has a 4.24 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 121 innings pitched. He made two starts in Spring Training for the Mets back in March. He tossed a combined four innings to a 4.50 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. It was his first time receiving an invite down to Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Sproat pitched for the Gators from 2020 to 2023. In his first year, he saw limited action due to the COVID-19 Pandemic ending the season, but he allowed a run in six innings pitched. After that, he slowly worked his way up the ladder, becoming a member of the rotation by his redshirt sophomore year in 2022.

His big year in Gainesville came in 2023, when the Gators reached the College World Series and were one win away from their second national championship. He went 8-3 with a 4.66 ERA, striking out 134 batters across 106 1/3 innings pitched. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors en route to being a second-round pick by the Mets that same summer.

In postseason play, he helped the Gators take the first game of the Gainesville Super Regional and took down Virginia in the first game in Omaha. He pitched the first game of the Final against LSU, but the Gators lost 4-3 in extra innings.